Bingo Hell (2021)

 Bingo Hell (2021)

RELEASED October 1, 2021 RUNTIME 85 mins DIRECTOR Gigi Saúl Guerrero

WRITERS Perry Blackshear (screenplay), Shane McKenzie (screenplay), Gigi Saúl Guerrero (screenplay)

STARS Richard Brake, L. Scott Caldwell, Bertila Damas

COUNTRY United States LANGUAGE English STUDIOS Amazon Studios, Blumhouse Television GENRES Thriller

Streaming on: Amazon Prime

The plot: Are you feeling lucky?

In the Barrio of Oak Springs live a strong and stubborn group of elderly friends who refuse to be gentrified. Their leader, Lupita, keeps them together as a community, a family. But little did they know, their beloved Bingo hall is about to be sold to a much more powerful force than money itself.

Random observations:

•  L. Scott Caldwell is an amazing actress and if this film were any genre other than horror, she would probably be up for a crap-ton of acting awards because she kills it.
• Mr. Big looks like he has some manner of Carradine DNA. I looked him up and he's actually Welsh and his first credit is from an episode of Jeeves & Wooster! WTF
• I like horror that focuses on children or seniors because these are the two age groups that society likes to not believe. It makes them seem more isolated in their cause in horror and one of the reasons shows like Stranger Things work well (sidebar: I saw the Season 4 trailer to Stranger Things and the kids aged like 20 years during the pandemic and once the kids aren't kids, I don't think that kind of horror is going to work. As a character gains more autonomy, it becomes harder to believe their helplessness).

Overall, I had a much more fun time than I thought I would. Some of the floating camera work made me a little dizzy and felt unnecessary, but I dug the soundtrack, acting, most of the writing, and the effects. Definitely worth free!

0.4/1 Directing

0.4/1 Cinematography

0.6/1 Visual design

0.3/1 Editing

0.6/1 Plot 

0.6/1 Dialogue

0.7/1 Acting

0.8/1 Soundtrack/Score/Sound

0.6/1 Originality

0.5/1 Rewatchability

Total: 5.5/10 Binge Bones

The verdict: A must-see for any Blumhouse fans, and worth watching if you aren't typically a Blumhouse fan. A great example of how you don't need to cast a 22-year old in everything.